My Friend
by Angel981
Summary: In this story, Chachamaru is a human. She's the new girl in class 3-A, and she knows nothing about magic, vampires, or even friendship. She's basically been alone her whole life, due to more than just one tragedy . . . but is there a chance that she could befriend a certain vampire? Or maybe even become more? (I've rewritten it, so you may of seen it before) R&R! Love, Angel981
1. Chapter 1

I stared up at the middle school before me, swallowing nervously. It was my first day here, and, well, any girl was bound to be nervous meeting others . . . right?

Taking another deep breath and letting it go shakily, I slowly climbed the stone steps one by one until I stood directly in front of the unnecessarily large pair of doors. My hand hesitated just shy of the metal door handle, and I bit my lower lip. Everyone should be in class by now . . .

At least, I hoped so. Shakily, I grasped the silver painted (at least I think it was silver painted) handle, opening the door with a long, deep _'creeeeak'_

Shivering at the more than just slightly creepy noise, I peeked inside. The hallway was brightly lit, which, thank God, was deserted of all and any human life at the current moment.

After about three minutes of waiting for someone to jump out and scream, "BOO!" or something similar, I silently slipped inside. The silence was immediately noticeable – which, I actually was really glad for. Taking a few more timid steps forward, I gave a small squeal as the door shut behind me with a _'snap'_.

After a few moments, I continued my decent down the hall . . . slowly.

My footsteps echoed repeatedly off the stone walls, creating a rather lonesome sound. I didn't really mind, though. I was used to being alone. It was the only thing I really knew now and days.

Biting my lower lip once again to stop myself from tearing up, I shook my head. I was starting junior high, so there was no need to cry about the past . . . no matter how painful.

Gritting my teeth, I took another deep breath before slowly letting it out.

Stopping suddenly, I realized I had no idea where I was or where I was going. Opening the leather satchel, I rummaged through the neatly kept papers inside.

_'Let's see . . . registration papers . . . binders, pencils . . . erasers . . . random papers with random recipes. . . where is it? . . . . . . Ah ha!' _I pulled out a schedule, a bit satisfied with my find. "Let's see." I murmured softly to myself. "What room exactly am I supposed to be going to?"

Scanning the paper quickly, I read;

**Student's Name- Karakuri, Chachamaru**

**Student's Grade- 7th **

**Homeroom class- 3 - A**

**Hallway- 631**

**Note- If you need any help, ask for Professor Takamichi.**

"Who's Takamichi?" I murmured to myself, sliding the paper back into the satchel. Glancing at the nearest door, I noted the room number – 5 - G.

At least I wasn't too far away . . . I think.

_'I'm hopeless, really. I can't even find where my own homeroom is.'_ I thought with a sad sigh. _'I mean, who can't figure out a hallway's direction?'_

I pondered for a moment, trying to decide what to do and where to go next. _'At least the continuous sound of my footsteps helps me think . . .'_ I thought somewhat happily. I tapped my chin gently, blinking in realization. _'Wait a minute . . .'_

Glancing down, I frowned down at my stationary feet. I wasn't walking . . .

"You're dead Ayaka!" A girl shouted, startling the hell out of me. Giving another small squeak, I glanced around for some possible place to hide. God, I was an idiot. Who can't tell if they're walking or not?!

Spotting a plastic tree, I slipped behind it just in time.

A girl with long, blonde hair and turquois eyes rushed past me, her face flushed a bright red. Only seconds later, she was tackled by a girl with bright orange hair and blue eyes whose face was an even darker shade of crimson. Every time the girl with orange hair moved, the bells tied to her hair made a little _'jingle' _sound.

"Get off me, Asuna!" the other girl nearly screamed, trying to pull free from under the girl.

"No, I won't!" Asuna crossed her arms, watching the other girl's futile attempts to squirm from under her with an agitated expression. "Do you know why, Ayaka?"

A look of suppressed rage passed over the blonde's features as she spat, "Asuna, get your big butt off me before I shout out 'help' for the entire school to hear. We both know how well that worked out last time.

"Shut up!" The red-head growled, pulling the other girl's hair rather harshly. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ayaka cried, doing her best to hit what little of the other girl she could. "Asuna! Let go!"

I winced. "That has got to hurt." I mumbled.

Asuna froze, letting go of the blonde's hair. "What was that?" She frowned, glancing in my general direction. I was actually rather surprised that she didn't see me . . .

I squeaked, coving my mouth with a hand. I hadn't meant for her to hear me.

"I don't know, but you better get off me, you big ape!" Ayaka shot, glaring at the girl as best as she could manage.

"What did you call me?!" Asuna yelled, her eyes narrowing. "You're an ape, and you know it!" Ayaka remarked. "You're a bigger meanie than that one girl in 6 - B!"

Asuna's face turned even redder from not-so-suppressed rage as she began pulling on the girl's blonde hair once more. "You stupid little brat! You'll pay for what you said!"

I took a step back, ready to bolt at any moment. _'I should run while I have the chance . . . But . . . I don't want to leave that poor girl to fend for herself . . .'_

I ran my fingers through my long, light green hair thoughtfully. What should I do? If I revealed myself, they might get mad at me for hiding near them. If I didn't, that girl could get seriously hurt. _'Why must I be so indecisive?!'_

"Hey Ayaka . . ." Asuna's voice drew me from my thoughts. "Why are we fighting in the first place?"

Ayaka rolled her eyes. "Because, stupid, you-"

The blonde blinked, as if trying to draw back a fleeting thought. "I can't remember. Huh, weird."

"Well that just shows how stupid you are." Asuna replied, crossing her arms once again.

Ayaka set her head on her arms and stared up at Asuna as best as she could.

"Can I get up now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so, that's why!"

"Well, could you at least get your big butt off of where it's at? My back's starting to hurt."

"No, because you might run away if I do."

"Please?"

"No."

Ayaka thought for a moment, chewing on the ends of her hair thoughtfully.

"I'll buy lunch."

"Deal."

Asuna quickly scrambled off of Ayaka, rubbing her stomach hopefully. "Can we go now? I'm really hungry!"

Ayaka quickly pushed herself to her feet, brushing the dirt on her uniform off. "No, dummy. Class is still in session, in case you forgot."

"Oh, right!" Asuna 'face-palmed' herself. "I totally forgot!"

I stifled both a laugh and a sigh as the girls turned to leave. _'Now,'_ I thought with a small smile. _'I can finally slip away unnoticed . . .'_

However, fate wasn't entirely on my side today . . .

As soon as I tried to slip around and away from my slightly obvious hiding space, my skirt somehow had managed to get caught onto one of the fake branches. The tree tumbled over, pulling me down to the ground with it. I gave out a small squeal in fright as I flailed my arms around desperately as if to grab a hold of something. For what, I didn't know.

Hitting the hard, freezing, tiled floor of the hall head-first, I couldn't help but noticed the small stars that danced in and out of my vision rather quickly. Blinking rapidly to clear them away, I quickly noticed that both Asuna and Ayaka were peering down at me with quite worried-some expressions.

Feeling my face grow quite warm with a blush, I quickly averted my gaze away from theirs. Could I have been any clumsier?!

Poking my cheek with a serious expression, Asuna inquired, "Is she dead?"

Ayaka sighed, shaking her head, "Asuna, she just looked up at us. Do you think that she's dead?"

"Yea, I suppose you're right." The other girl replied, frowning. "I haven't seen you around here, before. What's your name?"

Both of them helped me to my feet, and I rocked back and fro nervously. Mumbling my name barely loud enough for myself to hear, I kept my light green eyes trained steadily on my rocking feet.

"What?" Both of them asked, making it clear they hadn't heard me.

After a few seconds, I mumbled a bit louder for them to hear, "Chachamaru . . ."

Asuna frowned. "Why is that name so familiar?"

I shrugged, still staring at my feet. "Because," Ayaka rolled her eyes. "You idiot. She's the new student."

A moment of silence . . .

"I knew that!" Asuna snapped in response, blushing. Grabbing a hold of my arm suddenly, the red-head began pulling me down the hall. "W- W- What th- the?!" I stammered, glancing back at Ayaka, who had begun to help by pushing me.

Rolling her eyes, Asuna stated, "Well, you have to meet the rest of your class!"

***** About Ten Minutes Later**

When Asuna finally stopped pushing me, I had a sinking suspicion the heels of my shoes were already worn down. Great.

"Stay right here!" Asuna demanded as she disappeared into the classroom we had stopped by. "We'll be right back." Ayaka added, following the girl with quick steps.

I bit my lower lip, again, in my oh-so-nervous habit as I ran my fingers through my long hair thoughtfully.

What would the class be like? How would I react to everyone? Was I really going to like this school? What if I'm left all alone again? There were so many questions I didn't know the answers to.

I sighed, sinking down onto the cold, tile floor of the hallway. Hugging my knees to my chest, I rested my head against them. What **if** I was left alone once again in this world? There had indeed been much happier times earlier in my life. But that was then . . . when father was around.

_Smoothing my sun dress down as I hummed a rather happy tune to myself, I smiled. Father was coming home. He was finally coming home!_

"_Straighten up!" My grandmother commanded, hitting me over the back of my head. I did as she said to – numbly wishing I could rub the stinging sensation away._

_Father would be home soon . . . and that meant standing her and waiting for him. It didn't matter that my legs ached . . . it didn't matter if I was tired . . . nothing mattered._

_An hour passed . . . two hours . . . maybe even three._

_And that's when the door opened._

_He walked through the door, dropping his brown pack onto the floor with a loud __**'thud'**__. Dressed in army green, he smiled at the two of us. "Wendy! Chachamaru!"_

_His grin widened as her hugged his mother-in-law. Turning to me, he knelt down – his smile disappearing. I looked up, finding myself staring into those gray-blue eyes I knew so well. His light green hair fell limply over them, framing his face perfectly. "I'm home."_

_Throwing my arms around him, I began to cry. It's been so long since I'd seen him . . . I thought for sure he had died!_

_Thank God he was home . . . Thank God he was safe . . ._

"Chachamaru?" A voice questioned, slicing through my train of thought – causing me to jump. I quickly looked up, my heart beating a thousand mile a minute. A man was standing above me, looking rather concerned. He had white, spikey hair and silvery eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. He frowned, offering me a hand to stand. "Are you alright? Do I need to send for the nurse?"

Hesitantly, I took his hand as I shook my head. Helping me to my feet, he nodded. "Alright . . . Follow me please."

I swallowed nervously, following behind him rather uncertainly. Curious eyes watched my every move as I stepped into the room, causing me to blush.

Hanging my head, I let my hair hide my face as he steered me to the front of the classroom. I nearly bumped into him, but I somehow managed not to.

"Everyone," He stated. "This is Chachamaru Karakuri. From now on, she's going to part of class 3-A. Due to some . . . personal problems, she hasn't been able to attend until the middle of the school year. Please help her feel welcomed!"

A few murmurs spread through the classroom, making me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was.

I chanced a peek at the class through my strands of hair curiously. I was rather surprised to see at least thirty students. "Now," He began again. "I want you to introduce yourselves."

And, one by one, just about each girl stated her name. Though, there were a few who merely glared at me and said nothing.

"There's a seat beside Eva." The teacher stated, motioning towards a girl who looked no older than ten or twelve. The girl scowled at both him and I, crossing her arms as she looked away with an audible _'humph!'_

Slowly, I dragged myself to the open seat. Every gaze followed me as I did, and I felt my face become more and more flushed from the attention. Stifling a sigh, I risked a quick glance at her.

She was _**glaring**_ at me. And, it wasn't one of those, _'I hate you'_ glares. This one said, _'I'm going to murder you in your sleep'_.

Her expression didn't soften as she flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and looked away. "Stay out of my way." She growled venomously.

My gaze quickly snapped down the wooden desk in front of me. _'Oh, God. Please don't tell me I just made an enemy . . .'_

**~~~~~Chapter one is now over! Special Thanks to my Onee-san, because she's just amazing like that~ (You know who you are!)**

**Anyway, please review! I took this story off awhile back, and I was determined to rewrite it a bit better!**

**Best wishes,**

**~Angel981**


	2. Chapter 2

Smoothing my soft, pink quilt over my bed, I quietly tucked in the corners.

I've only been at school for about five hours, but I _still _seemed to be the main focus of other girls' gaze. Blushing slightly at the mere thought of the attention, I shook my head – as if to shake the thoughts away.

Tossing the pillow onto one end of the bed, I glanced around - looking for just one more thing . . . but . . .

Where was she?

Frowning, I pushed myself to my feet. "Zero . . .?" I mumbled, just barely loud enough to hear. "Where did you go off to?"

"Hey, Nee-san!" a voice instantly called in response, causing me to look up. A little wooden doll, a somewhat chibi version of me, was holding onto one of the ceiling fan blades – spinning in a continuous circle. Daring to let go of the fan blade with one hand, she managed a small wave – grinning. "You'd be surprised how little humans look up!"

Managing a small smile myself, I motioned for her to come down – catching her as the small doll did. "How'd you get up there?"

Shrugging, Zero climbed up onto my shoulder. "That's for you to not know, and me to stab intruders." She smiled at me, but I said nothing as she continued on with a sudden change in topic. "You seem a bit worried. Why?"

Grimacing slightly, I sat down onto my just-made bed. "Some girl in class doesn't seem to like me very much. The problem is that I hadn't even said one word to her before she glared at me like she'd like nothing more than to stab me with a pair of safety scissors."

The doll made a chuckling sound, tumbling down from my shoulder and onto my lap. "Well, I don't see the problem. You've had more than enough experiences with that. I mean, I still remember all of the days you came home with bruises on just about every inch of your body."

Glancing away from the doll, I felt my face heat up in a blush as I muttered, "You don't have to remind me, you know . . ."

"It's my job to." She responded. "I **was** given to you to keep track of your emotions and memories. Not to mention, I'm pretty much the only friend you have in this world."

"Hence, my continuous loneliness," I sighed, patting her on the head. "You know, your average teenage girl doesn't spend her days cooped up inside, crying and talking to her _doll_."

"_**You**_ do, Nee-san." Zero smirked.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Explain to me _why_ I do in the first place . . . Don't answer that!" I stated quickly as the doll opened her mouth to say something in response. "I already know why."

"I know, but –" Zero stopped in midsentence, giving a small twitch as she suddenly fell limp. Frowning, I poked the doll's head, hoping for a response. When she gave none, I ran my fingers through my hair thoughtfully. Looks like I had forgotten to wind her up this morning.

Unclasping the necklace from around my neck, I slid the little wind-up key dangling from the chain into the hole in the back of the doll's head. Winding it around slowly, I watched as she blinked in what seemed mild shock. However, that expression was soon replaced with a small, bliss smile as she shivered slightly.

Giving a series of sighs and continuous tremors, she grinned up at me when I clasped the necklace back around my neck – dropping the key back under my shirt. "Thanks, Nee-san!"

I shrugged. "I'm sorry that I forgot to earlier. I would of, but . . ."

"I know, I know." The doll sighs. "You were too nervous . . . Don't look so surprised! You know I can feel your emotions!"

I shrugged, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment. "I know; I just forget most of the time."

"Clearly," Zero rolled her blue-green eyes. "One would think you knew this by now, Nee-san!"

"Gomen . . ." I mumbled in apology.

She shrugged, her gaze flickering over to the door as she tilted her head slightly. "You've got visitors. Don't worry, I know the drill."

Stumbling over to the pillow, Zero fell limp – a wide smile plastered onto her face. Pushing myself up to my feet, I quickly made my way over to the door. I didn't exactly know anyone yet . . . so who could be visiting me?

Opening the door silently, I was greeted with the sight of . . . Haruna, I think, and . . . Nodoka.

"I doubt she's going to mind us knocking." Haruna rolled her eyes, raising a fist as if to knock - her gaze trained on Nodoka. "It's not like she has any friends here . . ."

I frowned, narrowing my eyes. Yes, I knew I had no friends. But did she have to point it out?!

Haruna finally turned her attention to in front of her. The girl paled slightly, sweat dropping with a nervous chuckle. "Um, hey Chachamaru!" the girl's smile quickly dropped. "Mind if we come in?"

Nodoka mumbled a small 'hello' just before I nearly slammed the door with a _'snap'_.

A knock was immediately heard, and I felt myself twitch slightly. Annoyed, I opened the door back open – crossing my arms with a frown.

Haruna – standing behind Nodoka – held out my satchel. "You forgot this."

I blushed, taking it from her. I could have sworn I grabbed it . . . then again, I _am_ rather forgetful.

Grinning, Haruna slipped around Nodoka and rudely pushed past me and into my room. "H- Hey!" I stammered, my blush reddening slightly. "You can't just walk in here!"

"Oh~! So she _**can**_ talk!" the girl grinned, looking around. Glancing back at Nodoka, I sighed, opening the door open further. Taking this as an invitation to come in, she too – yet hesitantly – walked inside with a quiet, "Thanks."

Nodding, I pushed the door closed.

"What's this?" Haruna asked, picking up Zero by the arm and wiggling her. "You _still_ sleep with a doll? You do know you're in seventh grade, right?"

"P- Put her down!" I stammered, taking a step forward – reaching towards the two of them. Haruna's grin faltered slightly as she tossed the doll back onto the bed with a shrug. "Whatever."

Nodoka shuffled her feet, looking more than just a little uncomfortable. "Paru . . . You shouldn't touch her things without asking . . ."

"Well," The other girl replied, walking over to my closet. "I don't hear her really complaining, Bookworm. Do you?"

Swinging the door open, the girl then busied herself with going through whatever I had stored in there – humming. "Hey!" I nearly yelled, rushing towards the green-haired girl . . . tripping over my own feet.

"Hi!" She called back gleefully, dragging a box out of the closet – not sparing me even a single glance. Though, I was sure I heard a quiet chuckle . . .

Quickly opening it, she rummaged through the contents. "Paru!" Nodoka squeaked as she clutched the book she was holding tighter against herself. "That's not very polite . . ."

"I know." The other girl hummed, placing the box back into the closet as I climbed back to my feet. She reached for another but quickly retreated a few steps as I shut the door with a loud _'snap'_!

"Get out." I mumbled, looking away as she frowned. "**Now**."

"Jeesh," Haruna frowned as she turned to leave. "Touchy."

Bowing in what Chachamaru considered being an apology, Nodoka quickly scampered after her friend, closing the door behind her.

"Nice fall, Nee-san." Zero chuckled, sitting up as I turned back to the bed – _after_ locking the door. "Though, I was hoping you would have landed on your face rather than your arm . . ."

I blushed, glancing away as I changed the topic quickly. "She was being a bit too rude, in my opinion."

"Really, now?" The doll grinned. "Was it the first thing she said at the door, or was it the fact she went through your underwear?"

I blinked. "She went through my _underwear_ . . .?"

The doll snickered. "Well, that **was** what you had put in that box, Nee-san. And, I'm pretty sure I saw her pocket the pair that had the hearts spread across it."

Feeling my face grow warm in yet another blush, I sat down on the bed. "Great, five hours here and I already have a pervert on my tail."

Zero shrugged up at me, patting the pillow. "It's getting late. Can we just go to bed already?"

***** (Dream~)**

"_That one looks a lot like boat . . ." My father murmured, trailing off as he pointed upward. Shifting my gaze from a cloud that looked a lot like a squirrel, I frowned at the one he was pointing out. "No it doesn't." A seven-year-old me mumbled in response. "It looks more like a misshapen blob if anything."_

_He laughed, turning his head to look at me. His grey-blue eyes sparkled happily, causing me to smile. "Why did you choose cloud watching?"_

_I rolled my eyes, though I was still smiling. "Because, Baka! We both enjoy it."_

_He laughed again, shaking his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position. I did so as well, curious._

"_I have a present for you." He motioned over to his bag, and my gaze flickered over to it as well. "I wanted to give it to you when I got home, but I thought I should save it for today, since I'm leaving again."_

_I did my best not to bounce where I was sitting, watching eagerly as he dragged the bag over to him. "Is it a puppy?" I asked, leaning forward. "Oh! Or maybe a Teddy Bear? Candy?"_

_He laughed again, shaking his head as he zipped the bag open. "No, I got you this."_

_My father pulled a small doll with light green hair and eyes. I blinked, tilting my head curiously. "It looks like me . . . kind of . . ."_

"_Here . . ." He murmured, handing me the doll and a small wind-up key. "There's a place in the back of her head where you put the key in . . . now you wind her up – slowly! Slowly . . . and concentrate on her . . . imagine her alive - as if she were filled with magic."_

_I did as he said, and I squeaked in surprise as the doll blinked up at me – sitting up quickly. She looked around, frowning. After a moment of taking in her surroundings, her gaze found mine, and she smiled. "Hi! I'm Zero!"_

_I blinked, looking over at my dad – who seemed more than just mildly amused. The doll glanced from him to me, as if piecing together some kind of puzzle. After a moment of two, she looked back at me. "Are you . . . Chachamaru?"_

_My eyes widened in surprise, and I somehow managed to respond, "Y- Yes . . . But how do you know that? How are you even . . . __**alive**__?"_

_Zero beamed up at me, glancing at my father. "Your father told me about you when he bought me. He's here, so I just sort of assumed. And, to answer your second question, what's life without a little magic?"_

_The dream shifted before I could respond . . ._

_I was twelve now, wiping away the tears that steadily ran down my damp face. "It was __**awful**__, Zero . . ."_

_I stifled a sob, hugging the shushing doll close to me. "I hate it here! No one likes me . . . they all tease me . . . but Alicia the worst of them! She's always shoving me around and picking fights with me . . . And she only does it because she knows I won't fight back!"_

"_Well that explains the new bruises . . ." The doll sighed, patting me as comforting as she could. Though, it didn't really help much._

"_You're my only friend, Zero." I mumbled, sniffling rather pitifully. "You're the only on in the world who actually understands how I feel . . ."_

_The doll rolled her eyes, remarking, "You were the first to wind me up, Baka. You of all people know that means I'm emotionally tied to you."_

"_I know . . ." I sighed, drying the last of my tears. "I'm sorry for being so sad all of the time and for being so stupid and useless."_

"_Now, you know that's not all true." My father stated, causing me to jump. I glanced up, just then noting the fact that her was leaning against my door. He didn't look happy, but, instead, he seemed rather serious. "Yes, you may be constantly depressive, but you're not stupid __**or**__ useless."_

_I felt my face heat up with a blush as I kept my gaze trained on my shoes. "How long have you been standing there . . .?"_

"_Long enough." He responded, kneeling down beside me. "Chachamaru, there's no need to talk so bad about yourself. What others may say isn't true. You're my beautiful, smart, amazing daughter, and you of all people know that."_

_I shrugged in response, still keeping my gaze downward. He sighed, hugging me. "I actually came to ask you a question."_

_Curiously, I lifted my gaze to his. "You did?"_

_He nodded. "They're going to station me on a base a bit farther away than usual. They agreed to take me off of the battlefield and put me in an office. I get to help the Army come up with battle strategies._ _I've asked, and I've been told I can take you with me this time. Do you want to?"_

_I blinked in surprise, and I felt a grin slowly growing on my face as I threw my arms around his neck. "That's wonderful! Of course I want to come! Thank you, Father! Thank you!"_

_The dream shifted again, and I felt my heart grip with a sudden fear . . ._

_I was Thirteen now, clutching onto Zero for dear life. "Not so hard, Nee-san!" The doll complained. She somehow managed to pull herself out of my grip, unsteadily taking a few steps away from me. "But I can hear voices . . ." I whimpered. "And I can't understand them . . ."_

_My father burst through the door, looking both terrified and alert. Scooping Zero up, he placed her on the highest shelf in the room – ignoring her protests. "Stay there!" He hissed, pushing his glasses up. His hair was tousled from sleep, and he hadn't shaved yet. But, he had meant to in the morning. "And don't move or make a single sound! No matter what!"_

_He turned his gaze onto me. "Hide – __**now**__."_

_I reacted immediately, scrambling out of my bed and diving under it. My heart hammered in my chest harder than it had earlier, and silence filled the room. "Don't come out from under that bed, you hear me Chachamaru?" My father warned lowly. "No matter what . . ."_

_Immediately, my door burst open (From the sound of it, the door had cracked and splintered) and the silence was shattered as more than just a few voices began to yell in some language I didn't understand. My father yelled as well, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I bit my lower lip nervously._

_There was a sound of a small struggle, and then, nothing except for the constant stream of swears that escaped my father's mouth . . ._

_But that also suddenly stopped when I heard a small thud, as if someone had hit him with the butt of a gun . . ._

_Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of my ankle, and I gave a small squeak of shock as I was dragged out from under the bed. "L- Let go of me!" I stammered, struggling against the man's grip as he pulled me to my feet. He merely laughed, pushing me over to where my father was lying._

_I stumbled, nearly falling. I breathe a sigh of relief, seeing his chest rise and fall as a sign of life. That relief didn't last very long, though._

_As I looked around, I counted about eight men – each wearing black and holding a gun or two. _

_One of those men suddenly grasped my shoulder, roughly shoving me down onto my knees. He pressed a boot down against my shoulders, forcing me to the ground rather harshly. A couple of them laughed as I gave a sharp, intake of breath at the sudden iciness of the wood floor, though their laughter didn't last very long._

_I stared at my father's bleeding, slack face, and I felt a small, cold dread trickle through me. Was he okay? Would he be okay? I didn't know . . ._

_It took him less than ten seconds to bind my hands together by the wrists, and I said nothing as he threw me over his shoulder. Another man did the same with my father, though they left him untied. That was careless of him._

_My gaze snapped up to the shelf Zero sat on, and I watched the doll lean forward slightly, looking more than just a little worried . . ._

Bolting upright, I gasped. For a moment, I blinked, gathering those few fleeting thoughts of reality. After a few moments of shaking and nearly crying, I flexed my wrist, as if to make sure there were no ropes binding them together . . .

Of course, I already knew there wasn't. So, it was rather silly for me to check.

Giving a small sigh of relief anyway, I glanced to my side.

Zero was curled up in a small ball on my pillow, fidgeting. A look of both terror and worry held the doll's expression, shifting from one to another as she slept on.

After a moment or two, Zero let out a sigh of relief herself, and she stopped fidgeting as much.

Allowing a small, fleeting smile to grace my lips for half a second, I laid back down. But, I knew I wasn't about to go back to sleep anytime soon . . .

***** Next Day**

Making my way over to my seat, I quickly took it just a few seconds before the bell rang. And, little by the little, everyone else found their way to their correct seats as well.

Glancing to my right, I dully noted that Evangeline hadn't shown up. "I hope she's alright." I mumbled. Yawning, I watched as Takamichi walked in – setting his books down onto his desk. He smiled charmingly at everyone, picking up his attendance book. "Good morning, ladies."

Opening his book as they all greeted him back, he quickly called role – shrugging when he got no response on Evangeline's name.

Marking something down after he had finished, he set the book aside.

Glancing to my right again, I couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy. What if she was hurt – or sick? I mean, I know she didn't seem to like me much, but that doesn't mean I wasn't about to hate even if she hated me . . .

*****(Hi!)**

"Evangeline didn't show up today." I called, slipping off my shoes. "She skipped class. Do you think she's sick?"

Walking into the kitchen, I picked Zero up from off the counter and set her on my shoulder. "Well," the doll mused. "She may just have not felt like coming to class. Either that, or your face scared her off."

Blushing slightly, I muttered, "Say that again and I'll throw you in the blender – on purees."

"I don't think that's a setting, Nee-san." The doll hummed in response.

I shrugged in reply, opening one of the top cabinets. Sighing as I saw a single tea-bag and a few instant-rice bowls, I frowned. I suppose I had forgotten to go grocery shopping.

"Hey, Zero," I mumbled. "Remind me to go shopping Saturday."

"Will do, Nee-san!" The doll responded with a grin. "You can count on me!"

Nodding, I glanced back up at the cabinet, grabbing the tea bag. Looking at it for a moment, a thought occurred to me.

If Evangeline really wasn't feeling very well, tea might help her a little. And, if she was perfectly fine, then what could it hurt? Tea was tea.

***** That Night**

Shivering violently from the cold, I did my best to resist drinking from the thermos that was keeping my hand warm.

It was snowing, and being the idiot I was, I had forgot both my gloves and my coat in my closet.

"Is it cold out?" Zero asked me seriously, watching me closely from her spot on my shoulder. I nodded in response, gritting my teeth to keep them from chattering. I had managed to find out where Evangeline stayed by asking one of my classmates. Turns out, she lived in some random cabin in the woods. But, she was still on campus.

It was rather interesting.

After a few more minutes of trudging through the icy snow, I came upon that exact cabin.

It loomed above me quite scarily, causing me to bite my lower lip nervously. Taking a deep breath and letting it go slowly, I made my way up the steps one at a time.

"Is this where that one girl lives?" the doll inquired, eyeing the door cautiously.

I shrugged in response, shivering. "I hope so."

Walking up to the dark, wooden door, I hesitantly raised a fist . . . and knocked three times.

Silence . . .

"Nee-san –" The doll began, but she never finished.

The door slammed open, hitting me. Giving a small squeak of shock and pain, I stumbled back – tumbling down the stairs and into the frigid snow.

Maybe I shouldn't have been standing so close to the door . . .

"What is it?!" Evangeline snapped, an annoyed gaze snapping around the porch. Frowning when she saw no one, the girl glanced down stairs and at me – looking slightly amused.

Rubbing my cheek, I shivered once again. "Well?" the girl inquired again, looking rather annoyed.

"I . . ." I trailed off, blushing slightly. "Y - You weren't in class today . . . so I th- thought that I should bring you some t- tea . . . b- because I thought you might not be feeling well . . ."

The thermos had rolled just a few feet away from the doorway, and Evangeline glanced down at it. "That's thoughtful of you, but I'm fine."

She glared at me, retreating back into her home.

I sighed, sitting up – hearing a small _'crack' _and a muffled squeak of pain. "Z- Zero!" I stammered, scrambling to my feet. The little doll was embedded in the snow, her right arm twisted and bent at an odd angle.

"Zero, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you . . ." I apologized tearfully, gingerly picking up the doll. Zero winced, glancing down at her arm. "It is fine, though I think you nearly snapped it Nee-san . . ."

I bit my lower lip nervously. "I don't have anything that can help at the moment . . . You're going to have to wait till we get back to the dorm before I can fix it. . ."

The doll sighed, not responding – for once.

"Here," Evangeline stated, causing me to jump and turn to her in surprise. I thought she had gone inside!

She was holding out a small, white cloth to me, not in the least bit surprised to see a talking doll. Taking it gratefully, I gently used it to bind the Zero's arm.

I glanced up at Evangeline to thank her – but she was gone. But, so was the thermos.

I smiled faintly, leaving with little Zero riding on my shoulder.

**So, I'm sorry if this chapter was a little confusing. Anyway, if it's lacking detail, it 0310 Hrs. when I first finished it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**

**~Angel981**


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